In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the novel is made up of three interconnected but ultimately separate narratives. The outer frame of the narrative takes the form of Walton's letters to his sister Margaret. It is through this channel that Victor's story is told as Walton tells it in Victor's words. Likewise, the monster's story is told to Walton by Victor, in the monster's words. These three segments of the narrative are closely linked by several common key themes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay A major theme shared by all three narratives is isolation and, as a result, loneliness. This theme of loneliness is initially conveyed through Walton, and through him it is incorporated into the structure of the monster and Victor's narratives. This is important because it establishes isolation as a tone that then overshadows the entire novel. Walton is a character who suffers from two types of isolation, physical and emotional. Physical isolation is the most obvious, as his expedition leaves him stranded in the lonely, cold Arctic wilderness. George Levine supports this as he argues that these snowy environments “are the landscape of isolation from community.” Indeed, this landscape reflects the solitary tone of Walton's narrative, but it also serves as a prelude to the isolation suffered by both Frankenstein and his monster. It is also evident that Walton identifies with and finds comfort in the solitary environment, as he says “I try in vain to convince myself that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it always presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and pleasure. This suggests that Walton is as lonely as the Arctic wastes, and therefore finds comfort in the familiar. In addition to his physical isolation, he also feels emotionally distant from others. Jennifer Richards supports this as she claims that “Walton…feels isolated even though he is surrounded by his crew in the little kingdom of his ship.” In fact, even in the desolate Arctic landscape, he still has people around him as potential company. Despite this, Walton is still alone and distant from them, choosing instead to confide in his sister through a series of letters. It is these letters that serve as the epistolary form of Walton's narrative, and it is this use of the epistolary form that further helps to emphasize Walton's status as a solitary character. He recounts the details of his expedition to an absent family member, writing his thoughts on paper instead of sharing them verbally. This underlines how much Walton lacks real human contact, although it is by his own will that he has isolated himself from the world in favor of the pursuit of knowledge. The theme of loneliness carries over into Victor's narrative as Walton recounts the story Victor tells him. Like Walton, Victor suffers from physical isolation in his quest to achieve scientific knowledge. While Walton confines himself to a ship bound for the Arctic, Victor confines himself to a laboratory. While Walton is friendless from the start, Victor pushes his friends away in favor of self-imposed isolation. It is clear that Victor thrives in isolated conditions as he states early on that it is his "character to avoid crowds". Victor recounts how the creation of the monster led him to "forget those friends who were so many miles away and whom he had not seen for so long", which suggests that human companionship comes second to scientific experimentation for him. argue that this theme of self-imposed isolation does not appear in the monster's narrative segment, as he is desperate for companionship and acceptance, rather than wanting to relegate himself tofringes of the company like Walton and Victor. However, the monster narrative contains the recurring theme of isolation, although it is of a different kind than that found in Walton and Victor's sections. While the isolation conveyed by Victor and Walton is largely self-imposed, the monster is a victim of externally forced solitude. Graham Allen supports this as he notes “how dissimilar such positions of voluntary isolation are to the forced isolation of the creature.” Indeed, the monster is rejected by society due to his monstrous appearance, leading him to desire acceptance and, ultimately, murderous revenge. He defines himself as “solitary and abhorred”. In contrast to Victor, who pushes away his love Elizabeth, the creature longs for a chance at love while despairing because “no Eve has soothed his sorrows nor shared his thoughts; he was alone." The monster is a real victim of social alienation. Although their isolation is largely stubborn, Victor and Walton's tales also contain the theme of social alienation to some extent. Unlike the monster, who is marginalized due to appearance, Walton and Victor feel detached from humanity due to their withdrawn behavior and their shared "thirst for knowledge". It is clear that Walton's isolation is not entirely willful as he tells his sister Margaret how he "bitterly feels the need of a friend." His curiosity has clearly left him an outcast as he talks about how it “drives him out of the common paths of men, to the wild sea and unexplored regions.” Meeting Victor, he sees a potential mate in him, reflecting the monster's later desire for a mate. In this sense, another common theme among the narratives is friendship, or more precisely the lack of friendship. Victor drives his friends away and indirectly causes their deaths, while the monster and Walton wish they even had the chance to have a friend. Another theme that runs through all three narratives is the search for knowledge. For both Victor and Walton the purpose of this knowledge is self-realization and recognition. Jen Hill supports this by stating that "Walton and Victor share the radical, selfless individuality that Shelley associates with Victor's quest for scientific knowledge." Indeed, both seem willing to put the pursuit of knowledge above all else. This is evident for Victor as he describes himself as "imbued with a fervent desire to penetrate the secrets of nature", and for Walton when he speaks of his "attachment to... passionate enthusiasm for the dangerous mysteries of the ocean". Unlike Walton and Victor, whose quest for knowledge is largely based on discovering the secrets of nature, the creature aims only to discover the secrets of itself. The monster's narrative is centered on the theme of the search for knowledge, but is based on self-understanding. He wants to know why he was created and how he can find a place in society. He desperately asks Victor "Why did you form such a horrible monster that even you turned away from me in disgust." In addition to the theme of the search for knowledge, there is also the recurring theme of forbidden knowledge. In the case of the narratives provided by Victor and the monster, this theme of forbidden knowledge takes on a somewhat biblical role as the monster compares himself to Victor's “Adam”. The monster seems to reflect the human desire to know our origins. For Walton and Victor the theme of forbidden knowledge in their narratives is based on their compulsion to investigate “the secrets of nature”. Victor touches on the controversial issue of playing God, as he talks about his interest in "The Resurrection of Ghosts or Devils" and, ultimately, creating new life. Anne Kostelanetz Mellor supports this ideaas he argues that "Victor denies God's unique power to create organic life... Victor Frankenstein blasphemed against the natural order of things." Ultimately, his creation destroys him, showing the consequences of indulging in the forbidden. Likewise, after learning Victor's selfish reasons for creating him, the monster is driven to murder. In addition to the theme of forbidden knowledge, there is the recurring theme of consequences when this forbidden knowledge is pursued. In Walton's narrative letters to his sister, he expresses a desire to investigate nature, just like Victor before him. Victor's tale to Walton is intended to warn Walton against pursuing forbidden knowledge. Thus, both narratives contain the theme of forbidden knowledge, with Walton expressing the desire to pursue it and Victor expressing the consequences of doing so. Harold Bloom supports this as he argues that "Victor admits that he has suffered grave consequences in his pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, and expresses a wish that Walton not meet the same fate." There are further biblical connotations when Victor tells Walton how he "earnestly hopes that the gratification of [his] desires may not be a serpent to be stung." This refers to the serpent who tricked the curious Eve into eating the apple and disobeying God. All three narratives share the theme of communication. Although the narratives are each told for a different purpose, all three narratives share the common purpose of communicating with another character. For Walton, this comes in the form of letters to Margaret, as he recounts the events of his expedition to her. The topic of communication is crucial for Walton as it provides him with an outlet for his thoughts as well as a form of human contact. Meanwhile, Victor's narrative consists of telling his tragic story to Walton in hopes of preventing him from making the same mistakes. He implores Walton to ""Learn from him how dangerous is the acquisition of knowledge, and how much happier is that man who believes that his native city is the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature allows him will allow". Victor's communication takes the form of a warning to a man who shares his innate "thirst for knowledge". The monster's story, however, comes in the form of a plea to be understood, as he states "I am mischievous because I'm unhappy." It then becomes a more sinister warning, as he threatens to "work towards Victor's destruction" unless he creates a mate for him. Essaka Joshua highlights the monster's attempt at communication as he says "The creature's narrative is told to Victor in an attempt to win the sympathy, and a possible mate, of its creator." Joshua also argues that "to some extent, all three narratives appeal to the sympathies of readers or listeners, the first-person perspective of each narrative is a powerful and persuasive device." In fact, in addition to sharing the theme of communication, all three narratives also share the theme of communicating one's pains and misfortunes in an attempt to gain sympathy. The monster tries to justify his murderous actions by telling Victor that “he was once benevolent and good; poverty made him a devil." Likewise, Victor also attempts to justify the monster's creation to Walton by blaming his efforts on his "thirst for knowledge" 36 and making clear the misery he suffered as a result. Walton defends his treacherous expedition by seeking sympathy for his loneliness, while telling Margaret that he "longs for the company of a man who can sympathize with him." Please note: this is just an example. Get